Made a mistake and originally posted this in the Gear section, but figured out how to delete it and move it here. Here is the original post now that it is moved over in the right place:

Maybe this has already been asked somewhere. If so, feel free to delete this.

I am interested in making some instruments for myself that will use bows. I was wondering if anyone knew of anyone that made fretted bass guitar necks (or i guess guitar necks too) that have a radius that would work with bowing for 3-4 strings? Unfretted would be fine too i suppose.

Also are there any bridges that could possibly work with this type of project? I could make my own bridges, but it would be nice to just know if anything existed like this. I know that i could just make everything myself and go that route too, but again, it would just be nice to know what is out there.

I know there are other people out there that do some great work with this kind of stuff, but nothing that i have seen fits some of the ideas that i have for making some instruments that i have been thinking about doing for the bodies over here with local materials. I have a few different things in mind for the body shapes, but most of them would be just played from sitting on the floor with the instrument resting on the floor (between your legs) on your crossed legs while you bow and play it in the same way that you would a cello, with the fretboard coming up by your head in the same way.

if anyone has any information, i would be really thankful for any ideas. If nothing like this exists yet with radiused necks that are easy to bolt onto bodies or bridges that can easily adjust the height to work with a neck like that, then i will just do things on my own eventually.

Ok.. The short answer is no, no-one makes aftermarket parts for what you want to do if you are going to build your own. You will have to make you own bridge. Or maybe talk someone into make one[s] for you.You will have to make our own fingerboard or cut down a doubleness fingerboard. If you end up making one and need help with how to do so I'll help you best I can, I've carved 3 double bass fingerboards from raw stock. I am also close to starting a project of converting a cello into a viola da gamba [ 6 strings with tied gut frets] and when I start I'll post some picts and stuff here..

Thanks for the input and links Mudfuzz. That is kind of what i figured would be the case. Whenever i get around to experimenting with this, if i run into any trouble i will send you a PM. I will be interested to see what you build too in the future.

The cello position is one thing that i am most interested in (for reasons you already said), but i also have some things i want to mess around with that will have to be on the floor/table top to be able to do everything i want to do with them. It will all probably end up being extremely rough, but hopefully will serve the functions i am hoping to get out of them.

If i am going to be doing anything with frets, i really need to talk with some instrument builders here and figure out where/how they buy their fret wire from, or have friends/family from other countries bring it in with them when they visit Thailand for me. I am really afraid it is going to be crazy expensive for what it is here. Stuff like that is extremely difficult to find here (raw materials), and to buy it from outside of Thailand now is becoming incredibly expensive because of the tax now. If you get flagged for any reason by customs, you end up now having to pay anywhere up to 35-40 percent for not only whatever they decide is the value of your goods, but also are taxed that amount as well for the total price of the shipping to Thailand. This is the latest way for the military state to cripple any outside competition and maintain the growing monopolies that the government/military is illegally grabbing while they still have unchallenged power (and creating policies to destroy any form of change).

yeah a lot of people over here use the wooden frets on old instruments, or for the newer ones they use the same material that is used for the nut of an acoustic guitar, i forget what it is called (usually white). They are easy to find in any guitar store usually for really cheap. i hadn't thought of tying frets too, that is really useful information as well.

and yes, you are correct that i wouldn't 'need' frets for some projects. it is just nice to know what options are available for when i want to try different things. Thank you for the links for materials as well, that is really helpful Mudfuzz